BOCAUE, BULACAN—For a team that has a penchant of pulling off historic feats in the AFF Suzuki Cup, the Philippines will have to put together an even bigger one tonight at Philippine Sports Stadium here against the standard bearer of Southeast Asian football.
Not only are the Azkals gunning to end a 15-game winless spell spanning 44 years against defending champion Thailand.
They will also be fighting for a place in the semifinals for the fourth straight tournament.
“We’ve been making history quite often the past five or six years and we’re looking to do the same this time,” said skipper Phil Younghusband, noting that the Philippines also beat Indonesia—for the first time in 80 years—two years ago in the same tournament.
“It’s the kind of games that you live for,” said Azkals coach Thomas Dooley. “We look up to Thailand, but it’s obviously a game we have to win to get to the next level.”
The tension is palpable within the Azkals camp, after they opened the tournament with back-to-back draws that has left the race for the second semifinal berth wide open.
The clash against Thailand would have been for top spot in the group, had they finished off chances against Singapore and stayed organized defensively against Indonesia.
“It’s disappointing, but it’s only because we have set high expectations,” said Younghusband.
The Fifa (international football association) rankings see the Azkals as the region’s top side, but they remain the heavy underdogs against the Southeast Asian giants, who are expected to rest their stars having already clinched a semifinal berth.
The Thais, who have beaten the Philippines six times in seven meetings in the tournament, can afford to drop points from the match set 8 p.m., but coach Kiatisuk Senamuang said he is in no mood to give the Azkals any favors.
“Everyone here is a friend, but if you want to go with us next round, you have to beat us [tonight],” Senamuang jokingly told Dooley at the prematch press conference yesterday.
A draw or defeat for the Azkals will mean elimination if a winner emerges from the Singapore-Indonesia clash simultaneously held at Rizal Memorial Stadium.
“Now we have a real final, a big goal,” said star midfielder Stephan Schrock.
“They (Thais) are the best team in Southeast Asia so if we beat them—and we can beat them—we deserve to go to the semifinals.”
Read more: http://sports.inquirer.net/230565/azkals-fight-survival#ixzz4QyAPYrUT
Mas masarap maluha kung maka historic upset victory ang Pilipinas against defending champ Thais kaysa naman sa mga dadagsa sa anti fem burial protest na organize ng anti prrd 2 destabilize our govt.Instead na manood cla sa bulacan para mag cheer sa azkals abala sila sa pagpapabagsak ng govt.
ReplyDeleteTalo na naman tayo sa mga reports nito sa local news imbes na tungkol sa National team at hosting dito ang i report nila yung mga anti FEM at PRRD protesters ang nada headlines at pabalik balik yan para i brainwashed ang mga tao na wlang alam..
ReplyDeleteWhy mix political issues here? This section is about sports. Well, since you already mention about the fem burial protest, you should know that many support the protest. If I were there, I'd definitely join the protest. Though the Azkals match is important, upholding justice and the country's moral is more important than any great game. Only in the Philippines that a dictator, and whose family had been ordered by courts to return stolen money, is buried in heroes cemetery. What a shame!
ReplyDeleteAzkal match is much important than the nonsense political anti fem black friday rally.dapat nga ipagpaliban nila yung rally nila and other activities dahil may game ang national.malamang nagtataka yung away fans from asean nations na nand2 bakit iniisnob ng ibang pinoy lalo yung nasa rally yung aff cup.kung sa ibang bansa tigil lahat ng activities para suportahan ang national team nila.katulad ng ginagawa natin pag may laban si pacman hinto lahat ng activities para manood ng match
DeleteYou're a fucking idiot Anonymous25 November 2016 at 03:38! If you want to talk about that garbage go to that mochablog and soil your self after, she might even appreciate it. But this blog is about football not filth.
ReplyDelete